Hold-down control for slab squeezers



July 27, 1943 W. R. GARNx-:R ET AL l 2,325,389

HOLD-DOWN CONTROL FOR SLAB SQUEEZERS Filed Dec. 5, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l M Warn.. w v i;

July 27, 1943. w. R GARDNER RT AL 2,325,389

HOLD-DOWN CONTROL FOR SLAB SQYUEEZERS Y Filed DRC. 3, 1940 s sheets-sheet 2 'TIE' 2' 6a M FHS. C5. 4f

July 27, 1943? w. R. GARDNER ET Al.

HOLD-DOWN CONTROL FOR SLAB SQUEEZERS Filed Dec. 5f 1940 5 sheets-sheet 5 www .l|.| Till. l@

Patented `luly 27, 1943 UNITED Sliema N est Nr OFFICE i nom-DOWN rooN'rRoL FOR SLAB soUEEzEas l william lt. Gardner and Merrill v. Hamilton;

Gary, Ind. l

applicaties December 3, 1940, yserial No, 368,404l el Claims. ,(Cl. 785-13) This invention relates to improvements in slab squeezing` machines in which large `heated steel slabs are compressed along their horizontal edges', During the squeezing Voperation itis necessary in order to prevent buckling, to provide means for s of the jaws being similar to an ordinary bench vise. The jaws are mounted in a manner to permitadjustment to suit various widths of slabs, one being suitably mounted to permit movement Alo forward and backward in a horizontal plane in order to contact the edge of the horizontal plane o and exert a squeezing actionthereon. Opposed to the moving jaws there is a normally xed jaw.

Power for the moving jaw may conveniently be transifnitted from a suitable electric drivethro-ugh a conventional gear reducer to cams and links .1

in a conventional manner forming no part or the `present invention. o

One feature, of the present invention relates to improvements in existing machines and particularly to a specific hold-down device and means :if

for controlling the extent of movement thereof, and another ieaturerelates to the means for indicating the spacing between the upper surfaces I of the slab supporting roller table and the underside of the hold-down device.

The above and other features of the invention will be more fully apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and claims `when read inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

-Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevationl Vand partly in section 0f a portion of a conventional 4type of slab squeezer having my improved hold,-

,down control and the indicating device combined therewith;

Figure 2 is a sectional View on line lI-II` of Figure 1;

y Figure 3 is an enlarged detail section illustrative of an adjustable stop member for accurately l controlling the extent of movement of the holddown;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail illustrating the hold-down indicator and means for controlling the stops which limit the movement of the holddown; rand Y f Figure 5 is an elevation at right angles to Fig'- ure 4.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numerals :I0 represent a plurality of slab supporting rolls which' constitute a conventional type of rollber `24` there is an er ,table for supporting the slab S which is t0 be squeezed by the mechanism. A conventional slab squeezing device includesl a normally xed jaw l2 Whiclnhowever, is normally adjustable laterally within-small limits and a relatively movable jaw l fl powered, by a Suitable `motor drive acting throughreduction gearing, levers and links in the conventi manner forming no part ofthe present invention. Suflioe it to say that `power means are provided. for moving the jaw I4 toward the drauliccylinders 20e-2,0. Fluid introduced into the cylinders 2li-2D through pipes 22221serve to forcibly move the hold-down head IS into ,coaction with the top of the slab, as will belunderstood.` "The cylinders 20-20 are mounted on a xed frame member 24 of relatively massive form constituting a component part of a conventional slab squeezing apparatus. The frame member 24 also Carries a lifting cylinder 26 withinwhich operates a piston (not shown) having a rod 28 securedthereto which in turn is secured to a .yoke S `carrying a pair of depending rods `32-32, which vat their lower ends are connected by pins :j3d-@34 to short links "36-36 which in turn are connected to theA hold-down head I6 by pins 38-38 mounted inlugs formed integrally there,- with.

y"."lhe yoke 3d is `provided with extensions 10j-T40 at its ends which coact with adjustable stop members (l2-42 which serve as positive means for limiting the downward movement of the holddownfheadin `llachstop member 42 includes a screw-threaded portion 4d and a shank portion 48, best shown in Figure 3, the shank portion carrying a spline 48 which slidingly engages a xed guide'member. Each screw shaft'flfl engages the internal threads 52 of a nut portion of a worm Wheel portion 54. Each worm wheel, best shown in Figure 3, is rotatably mounted in a bearing 56 ber 24.`

Mounted in spaced relation to the frame mem- I-bar 60 which near one end carries a motor 62 which is connected by suitable flexible coupling- 64 with a shaft 66 carrying worms 68-68 worm` Wheels iSd-5l which operate the stops @2e-,42. As thus arranged it is apparent 'that the motor 62 is effective to adjust tl'ietwo stops eti- 42 in synchronism so as to cause'thwelnrto which mesh with the respective either approach or recede from the xed frame member 24. -As thus arranged the members 42-42 willserve to limit with precision the eX- tent of the downward movement of the holddown head iS, it being manifest that when the eiitensions ilulill contact the stops 42-42, no

A further downward movement of the hold-down can take place. It is a -furtherffeature oi the invention to provide means which visually indicate to the operator as measured Vin inches and fractions thereof, the space between the undersideof the head It and the upper supporting l surface of the roller table lit. To this end there tubular rmember 82 is slidable on the rod Sli' and has secured thereto a Z-shaped member 38, one extremity Si! of which constitutes a fork for engagement with an annulus 92 formed in a collar S4 secured to the upper extremity of the screw shaft llfi.- vAs'thusarranged it will 'be manifest 'that the vertical motion or" the screw shaft 44 will be transmitted through the rack and pinion lcc'innection describedto the indicator disk lli. This disk wilibe calibrated as indicated bythe numerals and graduationmarks in Figure 4, to 'indicate in inches and fractions thereof the distance-'between the underside of the head i6 and the upper face oi `the rollers iii of the yroller 'table'. In' normal practice this dimension is usually one-fourth inch greaterl than the thick- 'A o ness ofthe slab. lvIo-unted 'for coaction with the indicator dial H5 there is an indicator element 96 having a pointer or other index mark @it there-` on. "A spring lllil surroundsthe tubular member and reacts against a Washer ISE secured against endwise movement with respect to themeinberf ,32 by a.l nutlll screwed on the end '-ther'eofi Thisspring acts as a cushion to take up slack inthe parts.v A novel feature of the indicatingvdevice is that the dial Varrangement l'can be swivelled on the standard 'lli to any suitable position for operato-r visibility.' It will be understood that such adjustment can be secured by vswivellingthe bearing members iabout the Aaxis of the tubular member 82.

The herein described means forcontrolli'ng the downward movement ofthe hold-down head andjfor indicating the position thereofV consti- 1. Slab squeezing apparatus of the character described comprising a slab supporting table, a hold-down element movable toward and from the latter, stop means for preventing movement of said element beyond a certain predetermined position with relation to said slab supporting table, and an indicator operatively connected with and responsive to movements of said stop for showing the distance between the underside of thehold-down and the upper lace of said slab supporting table` 2. Slab squeezing apparatus of the character described comprising a slab supporting table, a hold-down element movable toward and from the latter, stop meansfor preventing movement of said element beyond a certain predetermined position with relation to said slab supporting table, an indicator operatively connected with land vresponsive to movements of said stop for showing the distance between the underside of the hold-down and the upper face of said slab supporting table, and means providing a swivel mounting :for the indicator whereby it can be readily adjusted toiacilitate observation by the operator.

.3..Slab squeezing apparatus of the character described comprising a slab supporting table, a Xed frame member, a hold-down element, means carried by the frame member for moving said hold-down element toward the slab supporting table, means secured to the frame member for retracting said hold-down element, adjustable stops mounted by said frame member effective to limit the extent of movement oi" said hold-down lelement toward said table, an indicator operatively connected to said stop comprising a standard supported from said fixed frame member,

tutes *an important improvement on existing t machines and contributes materially to efficient functioning and reducesV` breakage and undue 'wear to a minimum and prevents costly mill delay, such as frequently occurred in devices not equipped with the present invention. The invention also prevents marking of the slabs, which 'has often occurred in prior art devices with the laccompanying disadvantage that the nished product oi the slab frequently had to be rejected.v While we have described quite precisely the specificy vembodiment of the invention herein illustrated, it is not to be construed that we are limited thereto since various changes may be made `by those skilled inthe art without departure from the invention as deiined inthe appendedclaims. I

bearings on the standard rotatably supporting an indicator dial, a pinion on said shai't, a rack meshing with the latter, `a swivel guide for the rack, and means for transmitting movement from said adjustable stops to said rack whereby the parts are so coodinated that the indicato-r will at all times show the distance between the upper face oi the slab supporting table and the surface of the hold-down device.

4. Slab squeezing apparatus oi the character described comprising a slab supporting table, a

Fixed frame member, a hold-down element, means carried by the frame member for moving said hold-down element toward the slab supporting table, means secured to the frame member for retracting said hold-down element, adjustable stops mounted by said frame member effective to limit the extent of movement of said holddown element toward said table,l `an indicator operatively connected to said stop comprising a standard supported from said fixed frame member, bearings on the standard' rotatably supporting ari-,indicator dial, a pinion on said shaft, a

rack meshing with the latter, a swivel guide for A the rack, means for transmitting movement from said adjustable stops to said rack whereby the parts are so coordinated that the indicator will at vall timesshow the distance between the upper face of the slab supporting table andthe surface of the hold-down device, and swivel mountings for said indicator whereby it can :be adjusted to facilitate observation by the operator.

WILLIAMv RVGARDNER. MERRILL v. HAMTLTON. 

